What the 2016 election has done to my family

The logistical effects of Trump Derangement Syndrome and the resulting "Resistance" are bad enough, with hundreds of administration posts unfilled and Democrats in Congress, the Department of Justice, and other agencies providing true obstruction of the president's agenda.

What's worse is that my own family has been torn apart. I'm sure this has played out in many other families across the country.

The first indication of how bad it could get was when my sister declined to attend the Thanksgiving dinner I had prepared following the election in November 2016. She and her family had followed me in moving to this area a couple of years after I got here, and we shared some good times together, living about 15 miles apart.

Alas, she held me personally responsible for getting Trump elected. Prior to the TDS outbreak, we had agreed to disagree about politics and could maintain a close sibling relationship in spite of our different views of the world. Now she must see the situation similarly to how those journalists do who have claimed that Trump's presidency is so egregious that objectivity may be abandoned.

We have since managed to keep a cordial and mostly respectful relationship. In a conversation that briefly touched on politics, I reminded her that there were numerous times during the prior eight years of the Obama administration in which I could have complained about his transgressions (didn't go into specifics...Benghazi, release of Taliban commanders, etc. – you get my point) but held my tongue in order to keep the peace. I sincerely hope we can continue to do so.

The situation with my other sister is worse. Here you have an intelligent, educated (master's degree), and otherwise rational individual who has been completely unhinged by Trump's election. She too blames me personally and has sent me harassing and disparaging emails and texts in spite of my repeated requests that she stop.

Apparently, she is unable to logically accept the reality that Trump will be president for another two years (at least). And like many progressives, she feels compelled to share the misery she must be experiencing in her own life, so she is directing her outrage at me, impugning my character, intellect, and morals.

The final straw came when her latest text "congratulated" me since "we now kidnap children and put them in cages," among other accusations. I had already stopped responding to her provocations; now I have blocked any future calls, texts, and emails.

Beyond my personal dismay, it's becoming clear that about half of the country feels this way and will stop at nothing to hinder or impeach the president and assault his supporters. This must be similar to how the Civil War began. It's truly a sad day.

The logistical effects of Trump Derangement Syndrome and the resulting "Resistance" are bad enough, with hundreds of administration posts unfilled and Democrats in Congress, the Department of Justice, and other agencies providing true obstruction of the president's agenda.

What's worse is that my own family has been torn apart. I'm sure this has played out in many other families across the country.

The first indication of how bad it could get was when my sister declined to attend the Thanksgiving dinner I had prepared following the election in November 2016. She and her family had followed me in moving to this area a couple of years after I got here, and we shared some good times together, living about 15 miles apart.

Alas, she held me personally responsible for getting Trump elected. Prior to the TDS outbreak, we had agreed to disagree about politics and could maintain a close sibling relationship in spite of our different views of the world. Now she must see the situation similarly to how those journalists do who have claimed that Trump's presidency is so egregious that objectivity may be abandoned.

We have since managed to keep a cordial and mostly respectful relationship. In a conversation that briefly touched on politics, I reminded her that there were numerous times during the prior eight years of the Obama administration in which I could have complained about his transgressions (didn't go into specifics...Benghazi, release of Taliban commanders, etc. – you get my point) but held my tongue in order to keep the peace. I sincerely hope we can continue to do so.

The situation with my other sister is worse. Here you have an intelligent, educated (master's degree), and otherwise rational individual who has been completely unhinged by Trump's election. She too blames me personally and has sent me harassing and disparaging emails and texts in spite of my repeated requests that she stop.

Apparently, she is unable to logically accept the reality that Trump will be president for another two years (at least). And like many progressives, she feels compelled to share the misery she must be experiencing in her own life, so she is directing her outrage at me, impugning my character, intellect, and morals.

The final straw came when her latest text "congratulated" me since "we now kidnap children and put them in cages," among other accusations. I had already stopped responding to her provocations; now I have blocked any future calls, texts, and emails.

Beyond my personal dismay, it's becoming clear that about half of the country feels this way and will stop at nothing to hinder or impeach the president and assault his supporters. This must be similar to how the Civil War began. It's truly a sad day.